For a city that bounced back, a fitting championship

BOSTON -- It's sewn into the fabric of professional sports that when a team wins a championship a special bond is subsequently formed between the team, its city and its fans for all of eternity.

The championship banner goes up forever, and the lore of the journey to that title will be the subject of memories and discussions for generations. All championships are extraordinary in their own right.

Every so often, however, a championship goes beyond special and extraordinary. It's the rare one that carries a meaning so deep that it just may get cherished a bit more than the others.

At the risk of being a prisoner of this moment, it seems safe to say that you can file the Boston Red Sox's 2013 World Series championship in that class.

With a 6-1 Game 6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night at Fenway Park, the Red Sox punctuated a title run built on redemption and the desire to help uplift a city.

Last April's Boston Marathon bombings sent tragic shockwaves throughout our commonwealth and beyond. As a result of the attack, four people were killed, hundreds were injured and a city was left battered.

It was a vulnerable time for everyone, and the Red Sox tried to help in the healing process in any way they could.

"In a time of need, in response to a tragedy, you know, I go back to our players understanding their place in this city," said first-year Red Sox manager John Farrell, the sixth skipper to lead the Red Sox to a title.

Advertisement

"They kind of, for lack of a better way to describe it, they get it. They get that there's, I think, a civil responsibility that we have wearing this uniform, particularly here in Boston.

"I'm sure that everybody in our uniform, whether they are here going forward or elsewhere, they'll look back on the events that took place and the way things unfolded as a special year. There's no way we can say it any other way."

The recurring theme of "Boston Strong" has gripped the area since April. The Red Sox followed suit as best they could, hoping to at least help restore happiness and normalcy. The phrase "B Strong" was cut into the grass in center field at Fenway.

Players reached out to victims and made hospital visits. As very fortunate, well-compensated athletes, the players weren't trying to be heroes. It was the right thing for them to do, and they knew it.

On Saturday, April 20 -- five days after the bombings -- Red Sox designated hitter and World Series MVP David Ortiz famously addressed the sellout crowd at Fenway Park before a game against the Kansas City Royals. "This is our (expletive) city," he said, and a roaring applause ensued.

Ortiz's resounding, blunt statement conveyed that everyone was in this together. It was an instant connection. The public appreciated the Red Sox efforts on and off the field, and the Red Sox thrived on the incredible energy in the ballpark from late April all the way through Wednesday's Game 6.

"This is a city that we've been through a lot of situations," said Ortiz, who has played 11 years in Boston. "Even when people were trying to do the right thing to some others, it looked like it was the wrong thing to do. The unexpected shows up. And sometimes bad things have to happen for us to get the message, and we got the message. Everybody stayed together."

The Red Sox rode the wave of energy to a league-high 97 regular-season wins. They then compiled a postseason record of 11-5, taking down the Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers and finally, the Cardinals.

It was the ultimate turnaround for a Sox team that had lost its way with the public just one year ago.

In 2012, Boston finished 69-93 -- dead last in the American League East under manager and village clown Bobby Valentine. This was after the epic collapse in September 2011, when the Red Sox blew what should've been a sure spot in the postseason under Terry Francona.

Late last season, Boston rid itself of "bad" clubhouse personalities and "bad" contracts in the form of Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. General Manager Ben Cherington swiftly fired Valentine in the offseason and replaced him with the poised and well-respected Farrell, the Sox pitching coach in 2007 when they last won the World Series.

Veterans like Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes and David Ross were brought in to stabilize the roster with old reliables like Ortiz, second baseman Dustin Pedroia and lefty starter Jon Lester.

From the start, everything clicked. There was unity, as a team full of bearded brothers put aside individual statistics for a common goal of winning a championship and bringing a city happiness.

"I just feel a bond towards the city with all that went on," said Ross, a 36-year-old journeyman catcher. "When I first got here, with the bombings, the lockdowns, that's why I feel so close to the city. It really hit home. This city is full of passionate people who love the Red Sox. When I get recognized walking down the street, as a backup catcher, that's the sign of a great city that loves its baseball."

The Red Sox have won three championships in the past nine years (also 2004, 2007). Ortiz was a member of all three teams. In his eyes, this one just feels different.

Of course, when you go from worst to first and uplift a city's spirits in the process, it's not exactly your typical championship.

"You know, winning this World Series is special," Ortiz said. "I think it might be the most special out of all the World Series that I have been a part of, to be honest with you."

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sentinel and Enterprise. So keep it civil.